Fashion with Flair models posing together on the runway at the Clearwater fashion show event

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater Community Volunteers held its annual Fashions with Flair fundraiser on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the Historic Fort Harrison in Clearwater. This year’s event drew the largest crowd in its history for an afternoon of fine dining, fashion and giving.

Guests arrived “Fashionably Fabulous,” as the invitation asked. They enjoyed a luncheon, an upscale fashion show, a large silent auction and chance drawings, and the ballroom was full of energy from the first course to the final walk.

Models walking the runway during the Fashion with Flair fashion show in Clearwater, Florida

Runway Looks from Pippa Pelure

For another year, the fashions came from Pippa Pelure, a boutique in St. Petersburg. Models showed polished, wearable styles and closed the show in striking evening looks, a glamorous finish to the afternoon. These looks are meant for more than the runway, too, and guests can find them at Pippa Pelure while supporting a local business.

A Team That Made Everyone Shine

The models said the experience was as special backstage as it was on the runway. Several wrote to Joanie Sigal, Spokesman and Co-Chair, afterward to thank her, the volunteers, the hair and makeup artists, and Megan Simons, who dressed each of them for the show.

“This event was perfectly organized from beginning to end!” wrote model Ruta Petraitis. “A huge thank you to all the amazing girls who made us feel so beautiful with our gorgeous hair and makeup. You made us shine! And Megan, you are simply the best! Thank you for dressing us so beautifully and making each of us feel like a queen walking onto that stage.”

Model Seema Ramroop praised the volunteers behind the event: “Joanie, you have assembled an extraordinary team of volunteers who give their time, talent, and service so generously and genuinely, from the depths of their hearts. That spirit of giving is felt by everyone who attends.”

For model Maureen Gabe, the day was about the cause as much as the clothes: “It was a pleasure to celebrate fashion, beauty, and creativity alongside such talented people in order to benefit the sponsored charity organizations.”

Giving Back to Pinellas County

Proceeds from Fashions with Flair benefit:

  • The Pinellas Sheriff’s Police Athletic League (PAL) of Lealman Sports Complex, which gives young people safe, positive places to play, learn and grow
  • Winter Wonderland, Clearwater’s much-loved holiday family festival and toy and food drive
  • Other local charities that serve children and families in Pinellas County
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Thank You

Clearwater Community Volunteers thanks everyone who helped make Fashions with Flair 2026 a record-breaking success. That includes our guests, table hosts, auction donors, sponsors, volunteers and models. We also thank the hair and makeup team, Megan Simons for styling the show, the Historic Fort Harrison for its beautiful setting and hospitality, and Pippa Pelure for dressing the runway once again.

As Seema put it, it was “one of the most successful events yet, filled with friendship, beauty, generosity, and unforgettable memories.”

Watch for Winter Wonderland details coming soon.

About Clearwater Community Volunteers

Clearwater Community Volunteers is dedicated to its mission to “Love and Help Children” through community initiatives across Pinellas County. For more information, to volunteer, or to support our work, call (727) 442-2099, write to PO Box 998, Clearwater, FL 33757, or visit clearwatercommunityvolunteers.org.

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